Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-07-12

cradle distance above the Trenton, but thi5
gas is in small quantities, and q number Of
Ohio towns which have tried to use 1t have
found that it had no lasting qualities. Berea,
near Cleveland, for instance, paid 10000 to
have It piped from the country into its town
and then found that 1t would not supply
regular amount of gas, and the pipes were
abandoned. Sc
In Findlay the oil fields and the gas fields
join. On one side Of the town you sink
well and you find gas IN abundance, on the
other you find oil The oil production Of the
Findlay field is now about 5000 barrels
day, and there is an oil refinery in Findlay
which am told has had success in refining
this Ohio oil.
The true future Of this oil, however, seems
to me to be that it will be used in some way
for fuel This natural gas excitement has set
scientists and inventors to studying methods
of making cheaper and better fuel than we
now have, and it is the opinion Of sound
thinkers and scientists that we will eventually
use gas for fuel A number Of experiments
have already been made, and there is firm
at Pittsburg which claims to be able to make
a heating gas equal to the power OF this Ohio
gas for ten cents thousand cubic feet This
gas is made Of crude petroleum and slack
coal, which may be got from any coal
mines for little more than the cost of carry
ing it away. Another method is combining
petroleum and water.
The use Of gas for fuel makes things some
what different in these towns. The trimmings
Of the trees are no longer burned, and when
one has d store box ho does not save 1t for
kindling. There is no garbage burnt in the
kitchen stove, and saw wood, that in other
towns would have beef saved for fuel, here
thrown into dust hole to aid in filling some
low land to O level with q road. Findlay
uses its stray wood as other towns do their
empty cans and old tinware, and the sale of
patent kndling wood has died out Speak
ing of kindling, there is a process now being
attempted Of making gas from sawdlst and
petroleum, and If this succeeds the great piles
of this material about the lumber mills will
come into use ~
Findlay has been the best advertised town
in the country during the past year, and it
may be interesting to other towns to know
how these northern Ohio towns are attending
to their own growth. When I arrived in
Fostoria the first boy met was full Of the
growth Of the town, and, though he was only
10 years old, he pointed to field mile from
the nearest house, where the cows were graz
ing, and told me that this land was all laid
out in town lots and that it would certainly
be built upon soon. He talked as though
there was city already built, and found
this same feeling prevailing at Findlay.
With a friend, who was a citizen of the town,
rode about it and of for a couple of miles
into the country in every direction from the
court house. Everywhere lots were laid out,
and everywhere there were stakes for streets
My friend did not call them streets, however.
T,,h Sc ah,,yo n
noted was named after John A. Logan. I
was shown park in which rustic seats and
bridges had been put up and was told that O
town was to be built adjoining IL. Talk of
the growth Of Kansas City, st. Paul and
zens evidently thought that their town was
some time to rival these. Each of these
towns Of Fostoria and Findlay have boards
of trade, though this in the case Of Findlay
is called its chamber Of commerce. It is a
tasty, two story wooden building, which is
nicely furnished, and in which the enterpris-
ing citizens meet to discuss all matters re-
lating to the pushing of the town. The sec
rotary Of the board, one Of the pleasantest of
fellows, Is what might be callesl q profess
sional town boomer. He Il paid salary of
$1,000 year by the chamber to take general
charge Of the interests of the town. He
sees that strangers see all of its advantages.
introduces them to the citizens gives infor.
nation to manufacturers and devotes his
whole time to schemes in the interest of the
place. He can tell you everything you want
10 know, and it is surprising how every OBJ
lection you advance Is met with good reason
for being considered just the contrary. This
man in Findlay's instance is an able and ef-
fcient worker. He has Travelled all over the
world, and imagine from his talk with me
he has been engaged in booming other towns
before the Findlay gas was discovered. He
is full OF personal magnetism and is well edu-
Gated. He attends well to the newspaper cor.
respondents, and rival towns charge that
some Of the news published in the various
newspapers about Findlay was paid for in
hard cash by this chamber of colnsnerce.
doubt not that the fact that was referred To
in the Findlay papers as "a distinguished
writer who had come look at Fndlayn was
by him, and 1t was due him largely
that the great celebration Of several weeks
ago was so much of a success. To show the
Enterprise of Fndlay, the town council voted
$4,000 to pay the expenses Of this celebration
and an additional $1,000 was subscribed by
he citizens. l doubt whether there are MANY
towns i'll the east that would consent to their
council voting such donation to be replaced
~ taxation. STILL the citizens OF Findlay
seem satisfied with their venture, and say
that the advertising they got was worth at
east $500 900. And perhaps they are right.
They have good thing in their natural gas,
md il they want to make anything out Of it
he world will have to know it. Truly. he
hat bloweth not his own horn, his horn shall
not be blown. FRANK G. CARPENTER